1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus having a plurality of functions, a control server, and an image-forming system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus, a control server, and an image-forming system configured to perform a plurality of functions of the image-forming apparatus as a series of flows.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional document-management system controls an access to a document. For example, such a conventional document-management system holds an access-control list (ACL) for each document or each document group including an aggregate of a plurality of documents. Furthermore, a conventional document-management system uses the ACL to manage a security rule as to what operation is permitted for each user.
In addition, a conventional document-management system has been developed that holds access information previously describing information as to what operation is permitted (or inhibited) for each user utilizing a function of an image-forming apparatus on a system. The access information is centrally managed by a security server to control user performance of processing.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-301602 discusses a document-management system that controls a user authority for performing an operation for managing a document, using a regulation previously defining whether a user is permitted to perform the operation, according to a type of a document the user desires to operate and previously held user information about the user desiring to operate the document.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-196414 discusses a method that utilizes a workflow for performing, in the case of performing a series of operations for capturing, processing, and outputting (distributing) a document file with an image-forming apparatus, a series of operations from capturing an image of a document to outputting (distributing) the read document having been processed, in a predetermined order. Such a conventional method registers a routine work, such as acknowledgement and circulation, which is frequently performed in the office, as a workflow. Thus, a user operation can be efficiently performed.
However, the conventional method does not control user performance of a flow by using access-control information for controlling performing a function of an image-forming apparatus when a user desires to perform the flow.